Baby elephant born at Columbus Zoo

Thursday

Well, more specifically, the baby elephant was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium at 3:09 a.m. Thursday.

While its sex isn’t yet known, the newborn elephant appears strong, the zoo said in a press release.

The calf is the first elephant born at the Columbus Zoo in almost a decade, and it will expand the herd of Asian elephants in the Asia Quest region to seven.

The baby is the fourth born to Phoebe, a 31-year-old Asian elephant who gave birth to Beco in 2009 and Bodhi in 2004. Beco remains at the Columbus Zoo while Bodhi is at the Denver Zoo. Phoebe's first baby was born in 1999 in Canada. For now, Phoebe and the newborn will remain behind the scenes to allow a strong bond to develop, the zoo said. When guests will be able to see Phoebe and the baby "completely depends on mom and calf," said Patty Peters, a Zoo spokeswoman.